Are ALL People Children of God??? [3]

God’s creation, NOT God’s children. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were createdthrough him and for him. – Colossians 1:16

Loved by God,

For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

God showed how much He loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. – 1 John 4:9

AND…

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. – John 3:3-5

To be born again means to become children of God. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. – John 3:6

“HOW ARE THESE THINGS POSSIBLE????”

You may be asking yourself the same question Nicodemus asked Jesus in John 3:9, “How are these things possible?”

And Jesus answered Nicodemus, and us…

No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. – John 3:13-17

HOW DO WE BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD???

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12

They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. – John 1:13

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ADOPTED SON, OR AN ADOPTED DAUGHTER OF GOD???

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure. – Ephesians 1:5

The word adoption, according to Dictionary.com means – to take and rear (the child of other parents) as one’s own child, specifically by a formal legal act.

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul in Rome during the 1st century. Knowing the time period of this letter helps us to understand the significant privileges and opportunities an adopted person would receive as a member of their “new” family.

For example, an adopted person would have…

the identical legal rights, as though they were a naturally born child to the family

a right to the family name

a right to the inheritance of the father’s property

would be under the authority of the adopted father, his legal caregiver

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. – Galatians 4:4-7

HOW DOES OUR RELATIONSHIP CHANGE WITH GOD WHEN WE BECOME HIS ADOPTED CHILD?

Our sins have been forgiven.

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. – Colossians 2:13-14

We are no longer sentence to eternal separation from God.

Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. – Romans 8:1-2

We are now able to come into the presence of God through Jesus Christ.

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. – Ephesians 3:12

Jesus, our Lord and Savior, has become our brother.

So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. – Hebrews 4:16

The Holy Spirit now lives in us, guaranteeing our inheritance and guiding us.

And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. – Ephesians 1:13-14

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth… – John 16:13

…you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father. – Romans 8:15

WARNING:

A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound doctrine. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject and turn their ears from the truth, and wander off into myths and fables. – 2 Timothy 4:3-4

OUR PROTECTION:

READ THE BIBLE.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you… – James 4:8

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32

Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with God?? Would you like to become God’s child?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.

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Thank you very much KaraLee for the thought-provoking comment on the post Are All People Children of God??? (Part 2). See post and comment at http://wp.me/p5nZpi-pI.

Before I respond to KaraLee’s comment, I like to offer a brief description qualifying my study and explanation of Scripture.

I understand all Scripture to be…

inspired by God, All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. – 2 Timothy 3:16

written by human authors

written within a historical setting

Therefore, applying exegesis (critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of Scripture) in my opinion, requires understanding the usage of language in sentences and paragraphs, examining verses/words/sentences within their context, and seeking to understand the passages within their cultural setting.

KaraLee had so many great comments that I’d like to address them individually. KaraLee’s comments will be highlighted in orange, my responses will be in black.

Thanks for the food for thought! I thought of a lot of stuff- hope it makes sense!

I personally believe that our Heavenly Father literally created our spirits before we came to live on this earth and that our mortal parents are the facilities that house our eternal spirits (Hebrews 12:9).

Hebrews 12:9 – Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

2. The writer of Hebrews is addressing discipline in this passage. He is referencing the similarity between a human father’s discipline and God’s discipline, as an expression of love.

3. You’ll even notice that the word discipline is used 10 times within these 12 verses.

4. God is described as the Father of our Spirits in v.12:9, but no where in this verse, other verses in the Bible, or within the context of this passage, was I able to find support that God created people’s spirits before they were born.

5. The only passage referring to pre-birth, and God, can be found in Psalm 139:13-16,

13You made all the delicate, inner parts of my bodyand knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.16 You saw me before I was born.

Which is why I think our Father in Heaven is so invested in our return to Him.

I wouldn’t want to lose any of my children.

Along with this statement is the assumption that you are your children’s mother. Your children are children of KaraLee. But the Scriptures say that we are not automatically children of God. We are created by God. And it’s not until we, as individuals, believe Him and accept Him, that He gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12

I do think all are children of God.

Here’s how the Scriptures define a child of God –

To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12

An opportunity, a right, not an automatic or a given that ALL people are children of God.

In this next passage, Jesus says that not all people’s father is God.

Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!For you are the children of your father the devil… ” – John 8:42-44

Whether people accept or recognize Him doesn’t mean He forgets them.

I agree with this statement, but it has nothing to do with a person’s status in “God’s family”. Rather, it reminds us of the Biblical fact that God is love – 1 John 4:8, and that it isnot the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones (anyone – my add) should perish. – Matthew 18:14

Scripture confirms that…

God gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. – Matt. 5:45

God is being patient for our sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. – 2 Peter 3:9

Jesus also is clear that ALL people will not recognize Him as Lord. In John 10, Jesus uses the parable of the sheep and the gate, saying… I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. – John 10:9,14,26-28

And in Matt 7:22-23 Jesus says, On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name. But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.

I wouldn’t disown my child if they decided to go against me. I do think that people can be called ” a child of God” in a deeper sense if they are His disciples or followers.

It’s not so much a matter of “in a deeper sense”, but it is the only way to be considered a “child of God”. And that is, if you are His follower. You are either a child of God, or you’re not.

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12

And Jesus says in Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

As far as the scriptures referring to “adoption” I feel like it is a matter of semantics.

I disagree with this comment. The word adoption holds much more weight than it is given credit for. It has a specific meaning. According to Webster Dictionary’s definition, semantics means that words have the same effect. There’s no realdifference.

However, the word adopt is defined in Dictionary.com – to take and rear (the child of other parents) as one’s own child, specifically by a formal legal act.

The child of other parents, is a BIG distinction that makes God’s use of the word adoption in the Scriptures significant, and certainly not a matter of semantics.

I will be getting into adoption more in the next post.

We are already his literal creation, but we have to work at coming unto Him or being His “Chosen” people or ” people who choose God”.

This comment seems to me to be an oxymoron.

On the one hand, we’re God’s creation, which I agree with – For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him. – Colossians 1:16

Yet, on the other hand, we have to work at being His “Chosen” people. So if ALL people are children of God, as your children are children of KaraLee, do we/them have to earn our parent’s love? Earn our place as a son or daughter in the family?

I don’t believe we have to work at being “chosen” by God. God wants us all to be part of His family. ALL people have been given a choice, freewill, to accept God’s provision to be reunited with Him. And, Because of His grace declared righteous, having confidence that we will inherit eternal life. – Titus 3:7

That provision was His Son, Jesus, who became an acceptable sacrifice, for ALL the sins of ALL people. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.– 1 Peter 1:19

For God loved the world so much that He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

This is what differentiates Christ-followers from all other religions or spiritual groups. God came to us. God pursues US. We don’t have to “do” to get God to notice us, and choose us.

Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Because Adam and Eve’s left the Garden of Eden, they also left being so close to the presence of God.

Adam and Eve didn’t leave the Garden on their own accord. God banished them from the Garden, Genesis 3:24.

Their choice to disobey God, to sin, by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, made it impossible for them to be in presence of a Holy God.

So in a sense we all have all been separated from our Father in heaven and need to gain knowledge of good and evil and follow or adopt Heavenly Father’s good ways.( Isaiah 56:3-8); (genesis 3:22-24)

Yes, ALL people have been separated from God.

…For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. – Romans 5:15

And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. – Romans 5:16

Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:18-21

It’s not a matter of gaining knowledge. It is a matter of repenting of our evil ways, turning to God, and following His ways vs. the world’s ways. Only then can we come back into God’s Holy Presence.

Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with God?? Would you like to become God’s child?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.

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Clearly in the verses, quoted by the preacher, the implication that ALL people are children of God, is not correct. If we take a moment to look at the verses, we’ll see that there is a prerequisite to becoming a child of God, an adopted son or daughter.

The opening quote given by the preacher says it all…

Ephesians 1:3-6 –All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

The preacher was correct in saying, “As Christ-followers our primary identity is not built on something we do, but on something that has already been done. Through Jesus Christ,you’ve been adopted as God’s son, as God’s daughter. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.

Let’s use the analogy of a baby girl I’ve given birth to. Now is this baby girl a child of Monica? Of course, the answer is yes. So, if this baby girl is my child, then there is no need for me to adopt her. Similarly, if ALL people are God’s children, then there would be no reason for us to be adopted by God, thus negating what the Scriptures say – God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family – Eph. 1:5

Given the above analogy, it would certainly seem that “something” is missing from this picture.

Secondly, in listening to the preacher’s message, it seemed as though he was glossing over Scriptural truths. The preacher correctly mentioned that it is through Jesus Christ,that you’ve been adopted as God’s son, as God’s daughter. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD, yet neglected to mention one small, but important detail – How is it through Jesus Christ?

I could interpret this in many different ways depending on where I am in my spiritual journey.

If I am a:

Atheist or Agnostic – Since I don’t believe God exists, or I’m skeptical about the very existence of God, I am glad that through Jesus Christ was downplayed/quickly passed over.

Seeker (someone who is checking out churches/Christianity) – I may not have even heard the part about adoption. I may just have heard, I’m a child of God.

A religion or belief system other than Christianity – I might not have heard that it’s through Jesus that I’m able to be adopted into God’s family. I might just have heard, ALL people are children of God.

A long time Christ-follower – I might not have realized that the way to become a child of God was quickly passed over. Having been a Christ-follower for a long time, I might have just made an assumption, “Sure everyone knows you become a child of God when you put your faith in Jesus for salvation.”

Thirdly, according to the verse in Ephesians 1:5, God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ,If ALL people are children of God, THEN ALL people must be Christ-followers too.

Yet, we know that is not the case. All we have to do is bring up the name of Jesus to our classmates, co-workers, friends, family members, etc. to know that ALL people are not Christ-followers.

Scripture confirms this observation saying,

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gavethe rightto become children of God. – John 1:12

AND,

We are made right with Godby placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyonewho believes, no matter who we are. – Romans 3:22

It is through our individual/personal profession of faith in what Jesus did on the cross that allows ALL people to become an adopted child of God.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” –Romans 10:9-11

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9

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This question, Are all people children of God?, has been on my mind for the past few weeks. This flame was fanned by the current sermon series being taught at the church we attend.

Because I disagreed with what the preacher was teaching, all people are children of God, and all people are adopted sons and daughters of God, I decided to do some digging in the Scriptures, they (the Bereans) received the Word (Scriptures) with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. – Acts 17:11

Below is a brief summary of the first two weeks of the message series.

In week 1 of the series,

The preacher said that Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians to remind the Ephesian Christ-followers, and us, about their identity.

He proceeded to quote from Ephesians 1:3-6 –All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

He proceeded by saying, “As Christ-followers our primary identity is not built on something we do, but on something that has already been done. Through Jesus Christ, you’ve been adopted as God’s son, as God’s daughter. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.”

[The message seemed ok, to this point, but further along in the message…]

The preacher said, “You are so much more than the labels that you might be wearing (some examples of labels – mom, businessman, electrician, not smart, weak, 4 eyes, etc.) you don’t have to find your identity in those things anymore. It is possible to step away from the competition and comparing to discover the truth of who you are. And this is that truth, YOU ARE GOD’S ADOPTED SON, YOU ARE GOD’S ADOPTED DAUGHTER. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. That is your primary identity.”

[So that’s that? I simply need to realize that there is more to me than my labels?]

In week 2 of the series,

The preacher’s message again was, “We are first and foremost children of God, members of God’s family. I am God’s child, you are God’s child. That is the identity that defines us.”

He then quoted Galatians 3:28 – There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus, and says, “Instead, of looking at someone as male or female, black or white, rich or poor, young or old, look at them as your brother, or your sister.”

[Sounds like a nice enough message.]

**But is it possible that the preacher is downplaying, or simply choosing to ignore ALL that the scripture is saying.**

IS THE PRONOUNCEMENT THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE GOD’S CHILDREN ACCURATE ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE??

Would you like to have a personal/intimate relationship with God?? Would you like to become God’s child?? Take a look at the tab, The Cornerstone…, in the menu for more info.

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